Amusement apparatus



April 6 1926.

A. W. JONES. JR., El AL AMUSEMENT APPARATUS Filed August 17. 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 6,1926. 1,580,046

A. W. JONES. JR. ET AL AMUSEMENT APPARATUS Filed August 17, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 mvz'u'roRs V l BY a ATTORNEY April 6 1926 1,580,046

A. w. JONES. JR.. ET AL AMUSEMENT APPARATUS Filed August 1'7, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 'lIIIl/l/I///lIII////////Ib WITNESS: AITORNEY Patented Apr. 6, 1926.

'UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUSTUS w. JONES, JR, AND CHARLES Alanna/1s, onoonnusrnn, NEW YORK.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

Application filed August 17, 1925. Serial No. 50,758;

To all "to/10m, it may concern;

Be it known that we, Aneusro's V. JoNns, J1'., and GHAnLns ABRA'MS, citizens of United States, residing at Oceanside,'Long Island, New York, in the county of Nassau and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Amusement Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This'invention relates to improvements in individual tanks being independently con trolled by separate operating means over which the players have manual control.

Another object resides in a game of skill wherein a plurality of independently controlled objects progress over a similar num-- ber of water courses, and when one of the objects reaches the end of its course, a suitable indicating means is automatically operated to visually indicate the winner of that particular race.

lVith these and other objects in view, the invention resides in certain novel construction and combination and arrangement of parts, the essential features of which are hereinafter fully described, are particularlyv pointed out in the appended claims, and are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in.

which 1- Figure 1 is a top plan view of our amusement apparatus. v Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional View on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view'on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a similar View on the line {Le-1 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view of the indicating circuits.

Figure dis a plan view of a modified form of our invention with parts broken away.

Figure? is a verticallongitudinal sectional view showing a further modified form.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the reference numeral 10 designates our improved amusement apparatus in its entirety, and which includes a table or platform 11 anda counter 12. The table 11 supports a plurality of parallel tanks 13 which are identical in construction, so that a description of one will sufiice for the others,

Each tank .13 comprises a U-shaped chan- I nel member 1 1 closed at opposite ends and which receives a U-shaped channel member 15 of a length and height less than the member 1 so as to provide communicating passages 16 and 17 atopposed ends of the tank, between the upper and lower compartments 18 and 19 which are formed by placing the inverted U-shaped channel within a larger a U -shaped channel, to provide a false bottom or partition. From the foregoing description, it will be seen that a continuous passage is provided within the. tank for the supply of water 20 contained therein.

Normally, the supply'o'f' water is in a placid condition, but a current is adapted to be set up by individual agitating means 21 provided 'for each respective tank. Each tank contains a buoyant object 22 which is adapted to be propelledover its course from one end of the tank'indicated'as the starting point 26 to the opposite end of the tank indicatedas the fini hed point or goal 24. It will of. course be understood that the boats 22 will floatupon the surface of the water within the upper compartment 18 as the lower compartment is utilized for allowing a continuous circulation of the water when the agitating means 21 is operated. i

The agitating means 21 above referred to is located at the starting end otthe tank and comprises a water wheel 25 having radig ally extending paddles or vanes. Acasing 26 houses each water wheel which is journalled for rotation within the housing upon a shaft 27 having its bearings in opposite walls of the casing, and which shaft 1 fixedly supports a sprocket wheel 28. The water Wheels 25 0f the respective tanks are disposed in axial alignment and at such height that the paddles clear the false bottom or partition which separates the compartments l8 and 19. Each agitating means 21 is respectively operated by individual operating means 29, there being one operating means for each agitating means.

Each of the operating means 29 comprises a vertical shaft 30, journalled behind the counter 12, one end of the shaft having a handle member 31 fixedly connected thereto at a point above the counter and which is shown as a disk adapted to be grasped and turned by the hand of an operator for imparting rotary moven'ient to the shaft 30. The lower end of too shaft 30 carries a gear 31', which has const: t meshing engagement with a beveled g 82 fixed to one end of a horizontally disposed shaft 33, journalled above the floor or supporting structure 84;. The shaft 33 extends away from the counter and has a sprocket 35 fixed to the opposite end in vertical alignment with the sprocket 28 on the shaft 27, and a chain 36 passes over the sprockets to rotate the related water wheel upon the actuation of the manipulating member 31. It will be noted that the shafts 33 of the respective aerating means are of various lengths in order that the sprockets may be disposed in vertical alignment with the respective sprockets 28 of the water wheels. It will also be noted that one of the operating means is directly connected with the first water wheel but suitable beveled gears 36 are provided in order to impart a like motion to.

the sprockets 35 of the remaining water wheels.

For aligning the boats 22 at the starting end 23 of the tanks, we provide a barrier 37, common to all the tanks as the same extends transversely of the same. The barrier is pivotally supported above the tanks as at 38 so that normally, when in vertical position, the boats are held a ainst movement. However, when the bar 1G1 is lifted or swung to clear the tops of the boats they are free to pass over their respective courses toward the goal, upon the actuation of the water wheels The rotation of the water wheels tends to agitate the water within the tanks to up a circulation therein, thus producing a currentfiowing in the direction shown by the arrows in Figure 2 of the drawings. lVatcr tiows in one direction in the upper compartment lSand returns in an op osite direction through the compartment 19. Upon the completion of each race, it will be un lerstood that the boats must be returned to their starting position and this return is accomplished without removing the boats from the water by an agitating means 39 now to be described.

The agitating means 39 comprises a shaft 40 journalled for rotation at the opposite end of the tanks and which extends transversely of all the tanks. Fixedly connected to the shaft are water wheels 41, extending into the respective tanks at the iinis- 2-:land which are similar to the wet r 25 with the exception that they are all keyed to a common shaft. A housing 42 encloses the water wheels e1 so as to conceal them from the view of the operator, it being understood that the operators or players stand outside the counters when manipulating the disks 3. A sprocket is fixed to the shaftlt) midway between its ends in alignment with a sprocket l ifixed to a shaft e5 journalled beneath the table ll and over which sprockets, a connecting chain passes. The shaft l5 also carries a larger sprocket wheel 4;? for operatively connecting the shaft with an electric motor 48, through the use of a sprocket 49 carried by the motor shaft, and a chain 50. A switch 51 may be conveniently located for controlling the operation of the motor, and when turned on, the motor imparts a rotary'movement to the water wheels ll in a direction opposite to that of the water wheels T his action agitates the water simultaneously within the several tanks and sets up a circulation or current opposite tothat produced by the ro tation of the water wheels 25. The boats will therefore be returned over their courses to the starting points and the barrier lowered, at which time the apparatus is set for the next race.

F or determining the winner of each race, we provide a visual indicating means 51, which includes normally opened switches 52 mounted on the housing 42 in the path of movement of the boats, there being a switch at the end of each tank. The switches are arranged in individual electric circuits 53, which includes a source of energy such as a battery and an electric lamp oi). T he lamps are l eels enclosed wit n a miniature lighthouse 56 for illuminating numbers provided on an opaque window therein. The numbers 5'? on the window correspond to the identifying numbers 58 on the respective disks 31, so that the player whose number in the lighthouse is illuminated declared the inner of that race. If desired, an automatic cut-out may be provided in the circuits so that only a winning number is illuminated and any boats which may finish later and which close their respective switches would not cause their numbers to be illuminated.

In the operation of the apparatus, the contesting players take up their positions before disks 31, and when the barrier 37 is lifted the race is on and the disks arerotated by.

the players, thus I imparting movement to their respective water wheels 25. The object in turning the disks is to rotate the same at as great a speed. as possible whereby as rapid to travel at a greater and steadier rate of speed overtheir courses. The operation of the indicating means has been fully set forth as has the means for returning theboats to their starting position, so that a further description of these parts is not believed necessary. It will be appreciated that the apparatus will afford great excitement and amusement to the'players and spectators, as

the race is solely one of strength.

In Figure 6 of the drawings, we have shown a slightly modified form. of tank 13 having a partition 15 which divides the tank into horizontally disposed compartments 18 and 19*. Water wheels 25* and 41 are identical in construction to the water wheels 25 and ll of the preferred form, with the exception that they are rotatable on a vertical axis instead of a horizontal axis, so that the respective wheels may extend into the ends of the compartment 18 In Figure 7 of the drawings, we have shown a still further modified form in which a tank 13 is provided and beneath which a pipe 19 is disposed. The ends of the pipe communicate withthe ends of the tank sothat the water when agitated therein will circulate through the tank and pipe. The operating and agitating means used in this form of the invention are identical to that shown in the preferred form and like characters of reference in the preferred form refer to similar parts in Figure 7.

What is claimed as new is i 1. An amusement apparatus comprising a plurality of Water, a buoyant object in each tank, individual means for agitating the water in each tank, and individual operating means for controlling said first means.

2. An amusement apparatus comprising a plurality of tanks each containing'a supply of water, a buoyant object in each tank, individual means for agitating the water at one end of each tank, and individual operating means for controlling said first means.

3. An amusement.apparatus comprising a plurality of tankseach containing a supply of water, a. buoyant object in each tank, indi-.

vidual means for agitating the water at one end of each tank, and individual operating means for controlling said first means, and a common means operable at the opposite end of said tanks for agitating the water in said tanks to return said buoyant objects.

4. An amusement apparatus comprising a plurality of tanks constituting individual race courses, each tank containing a supply of tanks each containing a supply of water for circulation from one end of said tank tothe. other,.individual means for agitating the water at one end of each tank to propel the. respective buoyant objects toward the opposite. end of the tanks, and 6 individual operating means for controlling said firstmeans.

- 5. An amusement apparatus comprising a plurality of tanks constituting individual race courses, each tank containinga supply of water forcirculation from one end of said tank-to the other, individual means for agitating the water at one end of eachtank IO propel the respective buoyant objects toward the opposite end of the tanks, and individual operating means for controlling said first means, and a means at the opposite end of the tanks common to all the tanks for agitating the water in a direction reverse to that of the first mentioned individual means for re turning said buoyant objects to the opposite end of said tanks.

6. An amusement apparatus comprising a plurality of tanks constituting individual race courses, each tank containing a supply of water for circulation from one end of said tank to the other, individual means for agitating the water at one end of each tank to propel the respective buoyant objects toward the opposite end of the tanks, and individual operating means for controlling said first means, and indicating means auto matically operable when the buoyant objects reach the opposite end of their respective tanks.

7 An amusement apparatus comprising a plurality of tanks having a starting and a finish point, each tank containing a supply of water for circulation therein, a buoyant object in each tank, individual agitating means adjacent the starting point for imparting a circulation to the water to propel said buoyant objects toward the finish point, and individual operating means for controlling the respective agitating means.

8. An amusement apparatus comprising a plurality of tanks having a starting and a. finish point, each tank containing a supply of water for circulation therein, a buoyant object in each tank, a barrier for aligning said buoyant objects at the starting point,

individual agitating means adjacent the starting point for imparting a circulation to the water to propel said buoyant objects toward the finish point'when said barrier is lifted, and individualoperating means for controlling the respective agitating means.

9. An amusement apparatus comprising a plurality of tanks having a starting and a finish point, each tank containing a supply of Water for circulation therein, a buoyant object in each tank, a barrier for aligning said buoyant objects at the starting point, individual agitating means adjacent the starting point for imparting a circulation to the Water to propel said buoyantobjects toward the finish point When said barrier is lifted, and individual operating means for controlling the respective agitating means, and a common means adjacent the finish point operable for simultaneously agitating the Water in all of the tanks to set up a circulation reverse to that of the individual agitating means to return said buoyant objects to the starting point.

10. An amusement apparatus comprising a plurality of tanks having a starting and a finish point, each tank containing a supply of Water for circulation therein, a buoyant object in each tank, a barrier for aligning said buoyant objects at the starting. point, individual agitating means adjacent the starting point for imparting a circulation to the Water to propel said buoyant objects toward the finish point when said barrier is lifted, and individual operating means for controlling the respective agitating means, and individual indicating means automatically operable When the buoyant objects reach the finish point for rendering said indicating means inoperative.

11, An amusement apparatus comprising a plurality of parallel tanks, each tank divided into two separate compartments adapted to contain a supply of Water and communicating at opposite ends, a buoyant object movable in one of the compartments, and paddle Wheels at opposite ends of said tank operable independently in opposite directions for imparting a circulation to the Water in either direction.

In testimony whereof We have afiixed our signatures. I

AUGUSTUS W. JONES, JR.- CHARLES ABRAMS. 

